Separators can be used in many configurations and contexts, and most notably as a pressure vessel for separating the various solid, gaseous and liquid components of an on-shore or off-shore well stream. Due to their reliance on gravity for portions of their operations, their components can be arranged in to create a vertical separator, a horizontal separator, or a spherical separator. Two-phase separators divide the liquid from the gas of the emulsion, while three-phase separators also separate water from oil. The functions of the separator may be divided into stages, in which the first stage typically performs primary phase separation, and subsequent stages perform further refinement within the phases.